Storybrooke needs a new Hero
by GoofyChikMOM
Summary: Real life Girl Kadence finds herself in the realm of Once Upon a Time/Storybrooke. She adventures with Hook, meets Snow, Charming, Emma, Henry and Regina. Hook and Kadence happen upon an old friend of Hook's , ruffian Robin de Noir as a stow away on the Jolly Roger. Regina's original curse has away from his home realm in Moonacre, searching for his beloved Maria Merriweather.
1. Chapter 1 - Neverland & Peter Pan

Chapter 1 - Neverland & Peter Pan

The day she arrived in Neverland it was the same day she met the real Peter Pan. She had climbed a tree to get a better view of the forest, looking for a path of some sort. Having had departed her own realm quite suddenly, without much of a plan, she was only decked out in her favorite jeans and T-shirt, a sweatshirt tied around her waist. No weapons, no cell phone, not even a bottle of water. A rag-tag group of boys, from ages 6/7 to upper teens; barely dressed in tatters, covered in dirt and mud had surrounded her, and had just started throwing rocks and sticks at her to get her out of the tree. When Pan finally slithered out of the brush, she was challenging them to a good old fashioned fight. "Are these your Boys?" She asked. "Not one of them will fight me. They'd rather be cowards and hide behind those rocks and sticks. They won't face me hand to hand. "

"We don't fight girls." One yelled at her. Pan remained silent, as if he were just observing.

"No? But you'll throw rocks and sticks at one, that's real respectable." Kadence sneered, fake lunging towards the boy.

"She has a point, there, Shiny." Pan laughed, his green eyes gleaming. Pan loved a good fight. He didn't care if she was a girl or a boy, pirate or crocodile. A fight was a fight.

"Aw, Pan. I'm not gonna fight no girl." Shiny stuttered.

"This here is no ordinary girl, Shiny." Pan circled around Kadence. "This here is the Champion."

"The what?" Shiny asked. He had never heard of the word, Champion.

"This here is the Champion of the State of Connecticut." Pan waved his hand in the air in a grand sweeping gesture.

"What's Connecticut?" Said a smaller boy with a slight English accent, his hair caked with dirt.

"You don't remember the other Land, Charlie." Pan said almost sweetly, touching the top of the child's head with affection, "In the other Land there are countries and towns, and villages. She's from Connecticut."

Charlie gazed over at the girl. Something in his eyes revealed a little more emotion than the other boys. Charlie may not remember the other Land, but he missed it anyway. This girl was from There. His lips formed the word again, "Connecticut." He paused, "Is that near where I was from?"

Pan let his hand drop to his side with disappointment. He hoped all his Lost Boys would forget about where they were from, and learned to love the life in Neverland. "No Charlie, not close at all."

Kadence stared after the leader of this gang of misfit boys. "What are you even talking about?" She asked.

"All those gold statues in your bedroom. Imagine all the foes you have bested." Pan continued to circle around the girl, menacing.

"You were IN my bedroom?" Kadence sneered. "In Connecticut?" The idea made her skin crawl. "When were you in my bedroom?"

She still did not trust the boy's smile as he smiled when he spoke, "Not me. But my shadow has free reign of all the realms." She saw blackness in the shape of a boy hovering behind Peter Pan.

"That's still creepy. Your shadow visits kids' bedrooms while they sleep. That's creepy." Kadence spoke with confidence, and a hint of revulsion.

The Lost Boys glanced to each other and then to Peter Pan. They weren't sure what was creepy about Pan's shadow visiting bedrooms. That's what Pan's shadow did. The Boys were away from the real world so long, and from such a young age that they didn't quite get the creepy factor of it. Peter had often told them that the world they came from was corrupt and unsafe for children. That they were free in Neverland. Free from the dangers and rules of adults.

"You see?" He postured to the boys grandly, "She's so traumatized from her land that she doesn't even think her bedroom is safe."

"From the Peeping Tom of YOUR shadow." Kadie yelled, stepping forward in a slightly assertive gesture. Pan stepped back feigning surprise.

"So, yeah, I am a champion. I go to tournaments, and I win trophies. I was State Champion last year. So, Yeah, what of it?" Kadence admitted quickly, placing her feet slightly apart, in a defensive fighting stance.

Peter smiled again, that distrustful smile, "So these boys should care if they fight you. Girl or not." It was as if his smile wasn't a smile at all. A smile meant the person was happy or amused, not on Peter Pan. It meant something all together different on Pan.

"I fight boys all the time." Kadence said confidently, "I've fought grown up men too sometimes. We do all sorts of sparring at our Dojo."

Charlie mouthed the word DOJO, not knowing in the least what it meant, but it sounded magical and mysterious. Kadence continued, as she glanced through the faces of the Lost Boys, "But I have no interest in fighting your Boys. Why don't YOU fight me Peter Pan? Or are you afraid to face a Connecticut State Champion." She knew the phrase Champion elicited a certain amount of fear and respect to these Boys, so she used it to her advantage. It was true. She was a Martial Arts Champion in her state back home. Those were regulated sparring matches with rules, and protective gear. It wasn't a group of ragged boys in a forest. But she also knew that she was well trained. This was what she was trained for. To be able to defend herself in any threatening situation.

The boys that surrounded them groaned. They knew Peter Pan was the best Swordsman of all of them, but something in the way the girl stood made them leery of the challenge. Shiny handed Peter a long thick stick. Pan examined it for a moment, from tip to tip, and then handed it to the Champion of Connecticut. "If I win. If I best the Champion, what does that make me?"

Kadence wanted to say, 'it doesn't exactly work that way.' But she went along with the Largest Lost Boy's logic, "Then you shall be the Winner of the Triple Crown, of course." She pulled that title from her Martial Arts tournament lingo. It meant winning first place in the Three National Tournaments of the year. She held her wooden stick sword in front of her, ready.

"I quite like the sound of that." Pan boasted. He held up the second wooden sword he was handed, on guard.

Kadence nodded, and lunged forward, thrashing her sword into his. It made a thick clunking noise of wood against wood. Pan's green eyes never left hers. He parleyed his sword again, hitting the edge of hers as she blocked him easily. She assaulted out at him again, their swords hitting together, their edges against their edges. She pushed off of him with a groan, twisted to her right, bringing the sword towards his head in on downward sweep. Peter blocked this expertly, but the sound of the swords coming together made a reverberating crashing sound, like cymbals in school band. Like metal hitting against metal. Peter's eyes flickered ever so slightly from Kadence's, only to accent his deceitful smile. Kadence refused to show her surprise that their wooden swords had mutated into real metal swords. "Nothing in Neverland should surprise me." She thought as she swiftly circled her sword around her wrist, knocking Pan off balance and causing his sword to clatter to the ground.

"I appreciate you trying to make it a little more interesting." Kadence said, kicking the sword further away from Pan, "But I still win."

Pan growled loudly, heaving himself up from the ground, he ordered his men, "Get her!"

Shiny, Charlie and the others stood still, "But, "Charlie said softly, "She won. It's not fair."

Peter Pan wiped his hands onto his already dirty pants, "There are no rules in Neverland. Only our Rules. Only the Lost Boys rules. Now Get her!" Shiny and Charlie looked at each other, and hesitated.

"Right." Said a deep, manly voice from the bushes, "She bested you mate. This GIRL, bested you." The man that stepped into the clearing was dressed all in black leather from the collar of his vest to the tips of his long boots. Leather vest, leather, pants, leather boots. His black cotton gauzy shirt was unsnapped almost to his sternum, showing a weird amount of black curly hair. That was something that Kadence would have normally thought was disgusting but somehow, it worked on him. "Now in my book, that means something."

"Shut up Hook." Peter sneered, looking to pick up his sword again. He hated nothing more than that pesky pirate nosing into his business once again. Suiting his name, the man indeed had a gleaming silver hook instead of a left hand.

Kadence blocked his reach with her body and sword. She admired the sword. It was a beautiful silver blade, with a dragon's head on the hilt, inlayed with blue crystals where the eyes should be, and etched scales. "This is a nice sword. Can I keep it?" She asked.

"Of course." Charlie said eagerly. "It's yours."

"Shut up Charlie." Pan raged. The little boy did not know when to shut his mouth. Charlie looked offended.

"Don't you be mean to him." Kadence growled, raising her sword towards peter Pan again. She was feeling a lot of confidence having had beat the leader of the Lost Boys, and had Captain Hook on her side. Pan held up his hands in surrender. It was too late anyway, Pan's sword had retreated back to its natural state, a simple wooden stick.

"What do you mean it's hers, mate?" Hook asked crossing in front of Charlie and Shiny, questioning the boy.

"It has to be hers. We don't have real swords." Charlie shrugged. It was a 6 year old's logic for sure.

Shiny spoke up, "She summoned it. It came to her."

"Aye." Hook nodded, rubbing his gloved (black leather of course) hand across the stubble of a beard that decorated his chin. "Magic never ceases to pop up in unexpected ways." Hook raised just one eyebrow to Peter Pan, "Are we done here?"

Pan nodded once, and sauntered away; his Lost Boys filing in a line behind him, the last, Charlie, tugged on Kadence's sweat shirt, "Miss? Are you staying in Neverland? We've only had a girl here once in Neverland before... well, except for the fairies …. And, well, that other girl used to read stories to us, and …"

"Charlie! " Shiny's voice called out to him, and Charlie jumped from the tone.

"I can certainly read to you." Kadence smiled, a beautiful kind and generous smile. "I love books."

"We only have one book." Charlie answered over his shoulder, sprinting towards the forest after Shiny's voice.

Kadence laughed, "That's fine."

"Aye, Lassie. You just made an enemy of Peter Pan. You do not envy you." The pirate said somewhat solemnly.

"Not like you're best buddies with him either." Kadence shrugged, turning her blade in the sunlight. "So this here is a magic sword?" She asked.

Hook kicked the stick that was Peter Pan's weapon, "Aye. Seems to be."

"Do you think it will cut Dreamshade?" She wondered, the dragon's eyes glittering in her hand.

"That's why we're here, isn't it?"


	2. Chapter 2 - Dreamshade

Chapter 2 - Dreamshade

Kadence and Hook hiked the forests of Neverland finally making it to the ridge where the Dreamshade was growing. "I certainly hope this will work." Hook said with a doubtful look on his face.

"Regina seems to think that we need Dreamshade to kill that snow monster that Elsa created. She said she doesn't need much. Just enough to boil in that concoction she was working on. Then, I guess we'll use a garden hose of something to spray it on that thing."

"If only Elsa could get control of her powers, this wouldn't be necessary." Hook complained. "Listen, "he warned, "This stuff is very dangerous. It killed my brother. It poisoned David almost to the point where he couldn't leave Neverland. And Gold too."

"Yeah, but Gold knows how to make the antidote. So I'm not worried." Kadence said confidently as she pulled out her new sword, ready to hack away at the overgrown herb.

Hook put his good hand on Kadence's shoulder, "Aye, but we'd have to get you there in time. And between realm travel is inconsistent where timing is concerned." Kadence rolled her eyes, but took his warning to heart. She gingerly sawed at the root end of a branch, Hook catching it in his gloved hand as it was separated from the plant. Hook examined the branch for a moment, careful not to let any of its sap near Kadence, then he decided, "I think maybe we should bring back some of the Spring Water too. Just in case."

Kadence didn't like the change of plans. Get in, get the plant, and get home. Those were the plans. "Regina didn't say anything about spring water."

"Aye, I know, Lassie. But the spring water here is a natural antidote to the Dreamshade. I just think it would be wise to have a backup plan. Just a precautionary measure, savvy?" Hook raised one eyebrow to the girl as he spoke.

Kadence shrugged, "eye, eye, Captain." She tried not to sound sarcastic when she said it. He did know Neverland better than she did. But part of her wondered if Captain Hook had something else in mind when it came to the poisonous plant and the magical curing water.

When they hovered over the crystal blue of the natural spring, filling Hook's trusty flask with the magical clear liquid, Kadence felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise up. Her eyes darted around them. Nothing stood out to her. "Hook …" she whispered a warning.

"Aye." he whispered back, tucking his flask in the inside pocket of his leather coat, "I feel it too."

"What is it?" The girl asked, twisting her head left and then right, crackling her neck as if loosening up for a battle.

Hook turned away from the spring, still speaking in a low tone, "I don't rightly know. Something dark."

Kadence still looked around them, she deduced, "It must be magic if we can both feel it, but can't see it."

"We are not sitting around waiting for it to reveal itself to us, let's go." He spun on one black booted heel, and made way through the forest, Kadence tailing right behind him.

Barely 50 feet into the depths of the forest, on a path towards the beach where the Jolly Roger was docked, Hook stopped suddenly. Kadence squinted slightly, confused, as she watched the pirate circle himself. He shook his head as if knocking cobwebs from his brain. "Are you ok?" She asked.

Hook glared at her, "fine." He circled again.

Kadence had never seen Captain Hook at so strangely, "What are you doing?"

"We have to get to me ship." He explained as if it were obvious.

"Yes. So go." Kadence pointed in the direction that they were headed originally.

Hook glanced towards that direction. And then back the way they came.

"Hook?" Kadence asked again. The pirate shook his head again. He reached into his pocket for his compass. Kadence couldn't imagine what was happening, "Hook." She said sternly, "We are wasting time." She pointed back to the path that they had just came from, "we just came from that direction." And then she pointed in front of her, "The boat is in that direction."

"Aye." Hook mumbled, rubbing his hand across his beard. He wasn't convinced. Something was messing with the one thing that the pirate could always count on, his sense of direction.

"Seriously, Hook." Kadence rolled her eyes and pushed past the man towards the path away from him. He followed begrudgingly behind her, "You are worse than my dad!"

"You're father got befuddled by the presence of magic?" He asked snarkily trying to defend himself with sarcasm.

"No, he has a horrible sense of direction." She laughed out loud.

"I have a perfect sense of direction, I promise you." He insisted, still unnerved by the sensation, "I've sailed more times than you have walked."

"I don't doubt it." Kadence was still giggling at the pirate when they came to the beach. The Jolly Roger bobbed slightly with the waves.

Killian stepped towards the ship. "Someone is on my ship." He accused bolting towards the boat, pulling his sword.


	3. Chapter 3 - Jolly Roger Stowaway

Chapter 3 - Jolly Roger stowaway

By the time Kadence boarded the ship, the captain had already disappeared under the deck into his personal quarters. She heard raised voices but not loud enough for her to decipher what they were saying. She crept towards the stairs, her new sword drawn ready to assist the captain in apprehending the trespasser if need be.

An unruly mass of black curls emerged up the stairs, followed by the body of what looked to be a young man, barely out of his teens.. He was dressed much like Captain Hook. Black leather pants, black leather jacket, with buckles and studs scattered throughout it, and a cranberry scarf around his neck. His fingers were peeking out of fingerless black gloves as he grasped the edge of the stair to vault himself out. "I would think you should appreciate …" he was saying, but his words faded as he finally realized that they were not alone. "Oiy." He murmured as Kadence pointed her sword squarely at the center of his chest.

"Who are you?" She asked, and before he could answer she called towards the galley, "Hook, you ok?"

The Captain pulled himself out of the galley, a sinister smile on his face as he observed Kadence's sword pointing at their visitor's heart.

"Aye." Hook agreed, and hesitated to introduce the two.

"Whereas I clearly don't mind being captive by such a beauty, I would prefer it not be at the end of her sword." The boy interrupted. His voice was similar to Hook's. An accent lilted his words, but it was different than Killian's Irish brogue. English, cockneyed. He raised his hands somewhat mockingly, his fingers waving in the air in a slight almost flirtatious wave.

Kadence pursed her lips at the obvious gratuitous compliment. And she poked at his chest to let him know he was not to be trusted. Hook finally chuckled and instructed the girl, "It's alright, Kadence. This here is Robin - Robin de Noir he was a shipmate of mine for stent before the curse."

"I am no stranger to the Jolly Roger that is certain." Robin agreed. He lifted his gaze up to his captor, waiting for her to lower her sword, a mischievous smile creasing his mouth, his liquid, intense brown eyes holding hers. He even had a smudge of black eyeliner under each eye, just like Hook. Must be a pirate thing, she thought. Strange. But it worked for both of them. She exhaled an audible "Hummph" and lowered her sword.

"That there is quite a weapon." Robin raised his eyebrows towards the sword, "Is it yours?"

"I guess so." Kadence shrugged. "Apparently, I summoned it.?" Her voice trailed off in a questioning tone. She wasn't sure herself.

Hook had emerged completely from the stairwell, and handed a black bowler hat to Robin, "Your hat, sir."

Robin unceremoniously capped it on his head, pulling the brim low, causing his curls to be smashed, and pressed close to his face. "Thanks mate."

"You're a pirate?" Kadence asked, not believing it for a minute. This man-boy did not look like a pirate. He didn't look like he had spent any time on a boat, in fact he looked more like a man-child of the forest. The type that would know every tree and every rock, who would ambush even the most secure of transports and rob you blind.

Robin's smile did not cease, but it was a sad deceiving smile, as if he wasn't practiced in laughing much, "I'm not sure if that's what you would call it. I needed to get somewhere, and The Jolly Roger was going my way."

Hook laughed out loud, "Aye. He was a stowaway at first. But we negotiated his safe passage."

Robin pulled his thumb across a faint scar on his cheek, a souvenir from his negotiations with Hook and his crew "Negotiate? Is that what you call it, then?"

Hook continued to laugh. "Aye. It certainly could have been worse."

Kadence shoved past the boy and the pirate, intent on getting the Dreamshade to the safety of the quarters below deck. Hook, however, would not let her pass, stopping her with his gloved hand, "You should rest." When she attempted to argue, Hook shook his head, "It's been a long day. Longer than you are used to. You are exhausted. Please, rest." He lowered his voice to speak to her privately, she was thankful that he did not reveal her weakness to the new stranger.

"Fine. I'll read or something." She started, her words meeting a glare from Killian, he did not release her arm until she concluded "maybe nap." If the circles beneath her eyes were any indication she would be asleep as soon as her head hit the sheets.


	4. Chapter 4 - Robin's Quest

Chapter 4 - Robin's quest

"Robin, mate, you should come with us back to Storybrooke. Maybe your Moon Princess is there." Kadence woke up to overhear a heart to heart between Captain Hook and his young friend, Robin. She peeked her head out of the galley hole, trying not to intrude. But by the conversation, she was able to determine that this Robin was no normal everyday person, but a character from some other realm, like Hook, like Snow, like David, the list went on. The only person she had met recently that was born in her own realm was Henry, and she was still not sure about that. His mother was not only the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White but also the Savior and his father the long lost son of the Dark One. And apparently, this Robin was another to add to the list. She should have known by the outfit. No body dresses like that and doesn't have a Storybrooke backstory.

"Kilian," since Robin used Hook's born name, she learned they were closer than she realized, "I never realized how much I cared for that spoiled little princess until she was ripped from my life."

"Aye, that is the way with love sometimes." Killian smiled, barely disguising a small chuckle, "Emma Swan hated me at first."

Robin laughed loudly in response, "Yes! Maria disliked me at first, also. Of course my father had kidnapped her, and possibly was going to have her killed."

"You saved her." Hook saluted him with his cup of whiskey.

"No." Robin admitted, "Although it did not take me long to see her side of things."

Hook nodded in acknowledgment of this, "Good always wins. Or as Regina says, the villains never get happy endings."

Robin spun his bowler hat by its brim on the tip of his finger. "What of this Kadence girl?" - Kadence felt her eyes widen at the mention of her own name.

Hook advised him most pointedly, "Aye. She's quite a tough foe. Don't cross her." He paused, "But she is a good kid. Fell into this Storybrooke business quite by accident. Although, I have learned sometimes there are no such things as accidents." He took another drink of his whiskey, "Regina seems to think that she is the only one who can bring the Dreamshade back to Storybrooke. There's a snow creature - like an icy ogre, that we can't seemed to get rid of. But the Dreamshade is supposed to help. Dreamshade harvested and wielded by someone not of our realms."

"The kid knows nothing of magic or of our …" Robin stuttered of how to describe their situation, their realms.

"No. But she is learning fast." Hook revealed, adding, "I'm not sure if that is good or bad." He cocked an eyebrow, "She is a very curious girl, I'll give you that, (his voice raised in volume), she sticks her nose in to things she shouldn't, without thinking twice." He had spied her head peeking out from the galley opening.

Color rose to her cheeks as she raised herself from the stairs, "I heard my name." She tried as an excuse to her eavesdropping.

Hook sighed, "Lass, we haven't anything to hide from you anyway. What would be the point?"

"I just want to get back home." She said solemnly as if that explained anything and everything she did.

"Regina guaranteed that she could help you." Killian vowed. He offered her a nip of his drink, she scowled, No.

Robin smiled, "So, how was your nap, little lady?"

Kadence yawned and stretched to the sky, "good." She glance back at Robin, and saw that he was watching her. Watching her with curiosity. She felt her cheeks pinken again.

"What is it you have waiting for you at home that you are so looking to get back there?" Robin asked, cocking his hat back on his head a bit.

"My family." Kadence spoke plainly.

Killian smiled, Robin rose one eyebrow inquisitively, "Really? Not a boyfriend, or a pet, or a rival to defeat?"

Kadence cocked her head slightly at his question, as if it were in a different language, as the idea was so foreign to her, "No. Just my family." She corrected herself, " not **_Just_** my family but my family. Family is the most important thing to me. So, yeah, I need to get back to my family."

"Aye, you are a lucky girl, to have a family to go back to." Captain Hook nodded respectfully in her direction.

"My family was indeed a disaster for a long time. My father ran a tight group of ruffians. We were outlaws, pillaging and being a general nuisance to the townsfolk around us. My sister and I lost track of each other for a long time because of it. She of course fell in love with a rival family's son." Robin sighed, "But it all worked out in the end. Basically the Moon Princess came, and settled all the strife."

"Your Moon Princess?" Kadence asked, emphasizing the Your part.

Robin removed his hat, pulled his hand through his mass of curls for a quick moment, as if the question brought thoughts that he needed to sort through, and replaced the hat quickly as if not to reveal too much of himself, "Yes. Maria Merriweather."

Kadence toyed with the idea of faking that she hadn't heard anything the pirate and the bandit were discussing when she was hiding beneath the stairs. But something in Hook's manner made her realize that was just wasted time, "So you lost her when this whole curse thing happened?"

Robin's mouth was suddenly dry, and he licked his lips in effort to moisten them, "This is true. Killian seems to think she might be in Storybrooke... "

"Well, it seems to the center of the curse - where everything leads, or began. At least from the stories that I have heard. So it would be a great place to start." Kadence nodded, agreeably, "I would love to help you find her, if you'd like - after this whole Snow Monster thing is taken care of."

"Aye, what about your trip home?" Hook asked, raising an eyebrow at the young girl, and looking from her to Robin and back again.

Kadence tucked her raven hair behind her ears, deciding out loud, "I'm sure it won't take long, Storybrooke is not a huge town, and everyone knows everyone. If there is a missing Moon Princess wandering around town, somebody would have noticed."


	5. Chapter 5 - Storybrooke

Chapter 5 - Storybrooke

The arrival of the Jolly Roger to the docks of Storybrooke was a town-wide event. The sheriff's Emma and David waiting, both with their hands on their hips, their badges clipped to their belts, and a weapon sheathed at their sides. Kadence recognized Emma's no nonsense attitude and long straight blonde hair. Snow and Belle conspiratorially whispering as they cooed over the baby Neil in Snow's arms. Snow's round face was topped with a small cap of black hair, her eyes revealed pride and protection for not only the little baby in her arms, but for everyone gathered at the dock. Regina standing regal, in a red top, skinny black skirt, and a black jacket over the top. She held her arms folded in front of her, as if warding off any civility that might be thrown her way. She donned a fake smile, except when young Henry made a joke in her direction, to which she chuckled good naturedly.

Hook was welcomed with a round of hugs from Emma, Snow and even Belle. He bumped fists with David and Henry. Kadence was included in their welcomes with encouraging pats on the shoulders. Regina scowled at the Pirate and the girl, but seeing the full branch clipping of Dreamshade in the girl's hand, she had no complaints, ""Well, I see you got the Dreamshade."

"Aye. Unfortunately, Kadence made the acquaintance of a certain Peter Pan along the way." Hook explained.

"Oh no." Snow offered in her usual sweetly sweet and comfortable voice.

Hook good naturedly clapped Kadence on the back, reassuring everyone, "Oh, not to worry - This young lass handled herself like a true champion. I have no doubts that she will be very useful to us in defeating this Snow monster."

"'Useful? In beating it? I thought that I just had to help get the DreamShade." Kadence stammered. Robin placed his hand somewhat protectively on her shoulder. He may not have known this girl for long, but he certainly knew her longer than these people who were going to send her into a fight with an oversized snowman.

"It's not that simple." Regina said grumpily, "I can brew up the potion. We have all the items now, but the matter of dispensing the poison is another matter."

"We need a magic sword." Emma explained, putting her hands in her pockets, and rolling on the balls of her feet. It was a detail that Regina had left out of her description of the spell before.

"Well, then, lucky for us, Kadence has one of those, too." Killian smiled, allowing his arm to fall to Emma's waist affectionately.

"How did you get a magic sword?" Emma asked inquisitively - staring at the 11 year old stranger.

Kadence explained quickly, "The Lost Boys said I summoned it. I was fighting Peter Pan with a stick sword and before I knew it, it changed into a real sword.

"Hey." Henry perked up, "that exact thing happened to me, when I fought him."

"Aye." Hook agreed, "But this one stayed."

"Let me see it." Regina demanded, she corrected her approach when she realized she was being too gruff with the her approach, she added, "please"

Kadence had every inclination of handing it over, Robin however interrupted, keeping both hands on Kadence's shoulders, standing behind her a formidable force. "Forgive my impudence, but I believe it is the girl's decision."

Regina sneered at the young man, "Who the hell are you?" She asked.

Captain Hook motioned towards Robin, "He's an old mate of mine, we ran into each other in Neverland: Robin de Noir." Emma stepped forward offering her hand politely, Robin nodded as he shook it quickly, replacing both hands protectively on Kadence's shoulders. Kadence quite liked the feeling of his hands on her shoulders, especially when he squeezed ever so gently just to let her know he was there. It felt comforting, safe. She may have just met this Robin de Noir but she felt he would put up the good fight right beside her.

"De Noir?" Snow asked, running the name through her mind, trying to recall the name. It felt familiar to her, but she wasn't sure how or why.

David stepped up, in his usual Prince Charming way, "Welcome to Storybrooke, Robin de Noir."

"Don't be so welcoming, he's a rogue. From a whole family of rogues." Regina accused, waving her hand dismissively towards Robin. Robin cocked his head towards Regina's words. She spoke like she knew him. Knew his father. Perhaps she could help find Mary ….

"Well, we've all been rogues at one point or another, haven't we, love?" Hook said snarkily,

"And …" David added, "It doesn't hurt to have a little rogue on our side every once in a while."

"He obviously is looking out for Kadence." Snow declared.

"You talk about me as if I am not even here." Robin's lips curled into one of his mischievous smiles as he spoke, a smile that never meant happiness, only that mischief and trouble were afoot.

Regina took a step towards Kadence, and therefore towards Robin, "Don't get in my way, Robin de Noir." She threatened, her eyes flitting from Robin down to Kadence, "Kadence, "she softened her tone, "the dreamshade please?"

Henry stepped in behind his mother, encouraging Kadence with a nod. Without hesitation, Kadence handed over the clipping dutifully, allowing for Regina's dominance. The Evil Queen thanked her, and motioned to the sword, "I will need the sword, Kadie." This time Kadence hesitated, Regina added, "I'm just going to lace the blade with the dreamshade. You will get it back, I promise."

"Do you keep your promises, Regina of Storybrooke?" Robin sneered, his hands heavy on Kadence's shoulders.

Regina fought back the urge to turn this rapscallion into a cloud of magical smoke, and tightened her hands into fists, "Always." She hissed.

Kadence heard a slight growl in Robin's throat, but he said nothing. He dropped his hands from her shoulders, as if signaling to her that he agreed with her decision to give the sword to Regina. Regina smiled at the young lady, "I will give it back." She repeated, only for Kadence's benefit. She could care less what Robin de Noir thought about the matter.


	6. Chapter 6 - Drawing It OUt

Chapter 6 - Drawing it out

"Quite a predicament they've got themselves into." Robin sniggered, his liquid brown eyes peering deep to Kadence, "why do you feel the need to help them?"

She was quiet during the ride to the ice barricade that circled the city limits. Robin sat to one side of her, fiddling with one of the feathers on his collar. Kadence didn't know how to make Robin understand, "They are going to help me get home." He shook his head as if he didn't believe her, "they might even help you find Maria." She whispered the last part, not wanting to reveal Robin's weakness. His lost love of Maria Merriweather.

The snow ogre was hiding itself in the ice barricade that surrounded the town. Elsa and Emma had made a hole in the ice wall the day they met. It was that hole that the ice monster crawled into when it wasn't wreaking havoc on the town, and it was there that they sought to draw him out.

"Where is this Elsa?" Kadence asked, "The one who supposedly created this thing."

"She has gone off looking for her sister Anna." David/Charming explained.

"And left this behind?" Robin asked, not liking the sound of the situation at all.

Emma understood Elsa's predicament, Elsa knew she had powers, but she had no idea how to control them. She felt that the only way to control them was to have his sister Anna with her. Anna calmed her down, kept her even. Balanced the icy snow power that spewed from Elsa in uncontrollable waves. "She didn't think she had a choice. She thought she was making things worse."

Regina stood strong in front of the ice wall. "I will lure it out. You've got to be quick, stab it quickly, somewhere where it will really hurt. My magic can only protect you for a short time, you must be quick. Do you understand?"

"We understand." David replied confidently.

"Wait. Wait." Kadence said her voice quivering. " ** _You_** understand?" She glared at David accusatorily, "You're not the one who's got to stab it with a poisoned magic sword."

"I know it's a lot to ask …" David tried to calm the girl down.

"Kadence, we are all right here, love. You aren't alone." Hook said encouragingly.

"How big is this thing?" Kadence asked quickly.

"8, 10 feet tall." Emma admitted, guessing.

Kadence paced in front of the group for a moment thinking, strategizing. She was 5 feet tall. Her reach maybe 6 or 7 feet if she jumped, but jumping she would lose some of her physical force. "I need something to stand on. Something …. About 6 feet tall." She estimated.

"I could put you on me shoulders?" Hook suggested. Kadence laughed, No.

Robin caught on to Kadence's line of sight, and followed it in a straight line to one of the pieces of ice that jutted out from the wall. "Do you have any rope?" He asked, rubbing his chin, thoughtfully. David ran to his truck to gather whatever he had. Robin bent over drawing on the clay ground, pulling Kadence's attention to him. "Like an animal trap, we can lever the rope from there (the separate free standing piece of ice), but instead of a trap falling on the ogre - it will be you." His words were specifically for Kadence. She nodded, and smiled at the master trapper. If anyone knew if a trap would work it was Robin de Noir.

"We're dropping her ONTO it?" Snow exclaimed in fear and disgust, "oh no, that's too dangerous."

"It would work." Regina nodded, staring down at the rough drawing on the ground. "I lure it out. (She pointed at Hook and Robin), you take care of getting the girl in place."

"This is so not …." Emma started. David hugged his daughter and wife to him, silencing them both, "It's worth a shot."

"She's just a kid. She could get hurt." Snow murmured.

"I'm not going to get hurt." Kadence assured her. Robin and Hook agreed.

Hook more adamantly, "Aye, I won't let anything happen to you, K. You can be sure of that."

There was a fired explosion, and purple lightening that flew from Regina's fingertips as she blasted the hole that was already in the ice wall. Her motive was to make the hole bigger. And if not, to make enough noise and commotion doing it as to raise the monster that slept inside the wall. The ice steamed, and tore, cracked and glowered. The hole itself became a circle of fire and electricity. It sounded like a freight train or a tornado ripping through the forest, echoing against the trees. Thunder followed it. Rhythmic thunder. One two. One Two. One Two. Not thunder, but footsteps. Huge ice monster, frozen ogre footsteps.

"It's coming!" Someone yelled. But Hook and Robin were already on it, releasing the cords that held the champion of Connecticut; swinging her down towards the heaving, bellowing mass that was the monster they intended on falling.

Much to her mother's dismay, Kadence let fly a word or two that was not in her accepted vocabulary. (What could you expect when you are literally being thrown midair at a 10 foot tall ice sculpture that moves?!) She raised the sword in the air as she flew like a pendulum towards the monster's face. The monster's face. She had been aiming for its heart. "Get it somewhere it hurts" Regina had said. But she was way too high to reach the monster's heart. Her mind fluttered for a moment the phrase "too high" swam across her head. She pushed the thought that she was careening over 9 feet in the air on only a rope tied around her waist out of her mind, as she screamed. Her scream was a battle cry, nothing more, as she plunged the sword directly into the monster's left eye.

The monster bellowed a scream that shook the ground around them. Her sword began warming to her touch - the heat radiating from her hands towards the hilt and then the razor's edge. The heat from her burning blade radiated outward, melting the monster's eyeball. Before her very own eyes, the large ice ogre's features ran into one another, melting like a candle on a birthday cake. The body oozed beneath her, melting into a pile of plasma like material. Before Kadence was drowning in what was left of the monster, Hook and Robin, working together, tugged the rope with almost both their entire weight, pulling Kadence to dangling even higher in the sky.

"Get me down Hook!" She yelped.

"Working on it Lassie." He yelled back.


	7. Chapter 7 - Dollittle's Pet Shoppe

Chapter 7 – Doolittle's Pet Shoppe

Kadence was wrapped in a blanket, shivering, afraid that she was never shock from being so close to the ice ogre for so long. She held a cup of hot chocolate in both her hands trying to warm her body from the heat radiating from her mug. Robin sat next to her in the booth at Granny's diner, one arm around her shoulders, rubbing them furiously. "That was not the best plan, my dear." He whispered, but still his smile let her know that he was impressed.

"It worked." Kadence said shivering.

"Now, we can work on getting you home." David said crossing from the counter to the booths, carrying two more cups of hot Choco, one for his beloved wife and the other for his grandson Henry. Both with a dusting of cinnamon.

"Regina has a plan." Emma explained, shoving her plate full of French fries covered in cheese towards Henry and Kadence. They were the youngest at the table, and probably would enjoy the fries more than anyone else. Regina had already retired to her lair.

Henry leaned in over the table, he was sitting across from Kadence, "That was incredible. So brave. I can't believe you did it. Weren't you scared?"

"Nothing scares me really." Kadence said with a bit of bravado. Robin chuckled and squeezed her shoulder affectionately. When the adults buzzed away in their own conversation, she nodded to Henry, her eyes wide for emphasis, and she whispered, "I was mostly afraid I was going to fall. I'm usually ok with heights, but I was dangling up there on a rope, there was nothing for me to grab onto. And I had to wait for those wah-hoos to get me down. Yeah, "she admitted, "It was a little scary."

Henry smiled. He liked that she felt comfortable enough to admit that to him, "It's a shame you have to go. There are literally no kids here my age."

"That's not true, Henry." Snow interrupted, "What about the kids that you go to school with?" Snow knew first-hand about Henry's classmates. During the curse, when no one remembered who they 'really were' she was his teacher.

"That's different." Henry rolled his eyes. No one at his school went to Neverland, fought off Peter Pan, came back with a poisonous plant, a magical sword, and then killed a 10 foot tall frozen giant. And most especially not the girls. And certainly not any girl as pretty as Kadence. He swallowed his hot Choco wrong as he thought this, he knew she would probably belt him if he called her pretty out loud. His gasps and coughs wracked his body as he tried to recover from the burning liquid going down the wrong pipe. He enjoyed the deep darkness of her eyes; they were so dark, he felt he might lose himself in them, lined with long luscious lashes.

Emma glanced suspiciously at Henry, "You alright kid?' She asked tapping his back.

"FINE." He declared warningly, shrugging off her hand. Emma's eyes narrowed as she considered this abrupt change of personality to her normally easy going Henry. She glanced from Henry to Kadence. Emma nudged Hook with her elbow rather roughly, "ow, what?" She motioned for him to shhh. She tilted her head towards Henry and Kadence, her eyes comically widened. Hook squinted at her, scowling, not understanding. Emma grumbled and whispered, "I think Henry has a crush".

Hook's mouth creased into a half smile, "Well, the lad's got good taste, then." Emma kicked him under the table.

The mass of celebrants dispersed at Granny's door after the cocoa and cheese fries were finished. Charming and Snow head out for home, to put dearest Neil to bed. Belle scuttled off towards the library to be sure everything was locked up and secure, only to meet her loving husband Mr. Gold who was waiting for her so they could walk home together.

"It's not that late, "Kadence suggested, "I'd like to walk through town a bit. See what Storybrooke is all about."

Henry beamed, "That's a great idea!" And they turned left off of Granny's walk towards the center of town. Followed by Emma and Hook. And Robin de Noir following behind them a few strides as to not to crowd the lovebirds.

Robin had already reserved a room at Granny's. Emma and Hook while following a safe distance behind Henry and Kadence, discussed sleeping arrangements for the girl, "She's just a kid, she can't stay in a hotel by herself. And she can't sleep at my place, it's already too crowded!"

"Aye." Hook agreed, "She could sleep on my ship. There are plenty of bunks. She might like it."

"I don't know." Emma hesitated, Hook was not exactly the most responsible adult of the lot.

Hook pretended to be offended, but still protested, "You trusted me to get her out of Neverland safely, certainly I can keep her safe for a fortnight." He added, humorously, "Henry might want to have a sleep over in Castle Regina."

"Oh hell no. THAT isn't happening." Emma objected immediately.

Hook laughed, "They're just kids Swan."

Most of the shops on Main Street were closed already. The Game of Thorns florist. The Ice Cream Shoppe. Rod's Building Supplies. Dark Star Pharmacy. They made their way happily anyway. Henry filling in Kadence different stories about some locations, pointing out the most interesting ones. There was a light coming from a storefront window a few feet away. "Looks like Doolittle's is still open." Henry announced.

"What's Doolittle's?" Kadence asked.

"Doctor Doolittle? The guy who can talk to animals, you've never heard of him?" Henry asked wondering how such a story could not have made it to whatever realm this girl was from. "It's a pet store, anyway."

"A PET STORE?!" Kadence's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. In her excitement, she skipped a few steps ahead, "well, come on then!" She called back to him, "I love pet stores."

It took a few galloping steps for Henry to catch up with Kadence, and even a few more for Emma and Hook to follow the two children into the store. Kadence was already rounding the fish tanks, making her way towards the birds, fussing over every living creature with scales, feather or fur. "I'm going to get a hamster one day." She said, "Or maybe a guinea pig." She cooed to no one in particular, "I already have a cat and a dog. But I want something small to hold and cuddle."

"The cat or the dog might not like you having a little rodent, kiddo." Emma advised.

Kadence was stern in what she wanted, she had it planned out in her mind. "I'd keep the cage away, up high so they can't get at them."

The store clerk rounded the corner; she huffed up towards her forehead slightly as to move her wild red curls from her face. She smiled at Kadence, a spray a honey freckles dancing across her cheeks and nose. "Those are all good choices, but …" she reached into a large plastic animal holding cell, "What about a Hare?" The. The store clerk barely reacted to the door to the store jingling again, another patron joining them.

Robin had finally caught up to their meandering party, and Kadence heard Robin and Hook exchange pleasantries in the front of the store, near the chattering birds.

"A Hare?" Kadence asked, turning her attention to the store clerk again, "I thought they were wild animals. Can you even have a hare as a pet? Is that legal?"

The clerk giggled. It was a school girl type giggle, but a bit deeper. She was no school girl, she was a young woman. "Well, a hare is a different thing altogether." She held the animal reverently. It did not move, it lie in her arms, snuggled into her elbow. She pushed her hair over to one side of her face, allowing the ruddy curls to fall on past her shoulder, her blue eyes sparkling with life itself, "Someone once told me that a hare is not a pet but a person." She paused, scratched the hare between its elongated ears, "Hares are clever and brave and loving. It's even said that they have fairy blood in them."

She handed the hare to Kadence, placing the warm long eared rodent in her waiting arms, "I had a hare when I was your age, maybe a little bit older. She was a great friend."

The pet shop became eerily quiet, except the chatter of the birds in the background, but even then faded to a low buzz of background noise. His feet moved silently as he stepped forward, his voice faltering, quivering in his throat, "Princess?" Robin said first, and then corrected himself, "Maria?"

The store clerk's smile to Kadence and the hare flickered for a moment, as she raised her head to the voice that haunted her dreams. Her breath, much like her heart stopped. "R-Robin?" She questioned, the name stuttering its way out.

There wasn't enough time for the two to acknowledge each others questions, just a collision of their bodies coming together in an earth quaking embrace. Robin held her so tightly, she thought she might not be able to breath; finally releasing her to bequest upon her skin a series of fluttering kisses to her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her chin; All the while nearly crying, "I thought I had lost you." She laughed beneath his kisses; until finally his mouth upon hers stopped her laughter as they kissed like lovers do.

Kadence crinkled her nose at the spectacle for a moment. Henry's face blushed fuchsia pink.

"Well" Hook decided, "Apparently, That's Maria Merriweather."

Emma rolled her eyes at the pirate, "Ya think?"


End file.
